Technical Field
Embodiments of the subject matter disclosed herein generally relate to rotary or turbo machines including a machine rotor with an impeller portion made of a first material and a shaft portion made of a second material different from the first material, and more particularly, to a machine rotor with a composite impeller portion and a metal shaft portion.
Discussion of the Background
During the past years, with the increase in price of fossil fuels, the interest in many aspects related to the processing of fossil fuels has increased. During processing of fossil fuels, fluids are transported from on-shore or offshore locations to processing plants for subsequent use. In other applications, fluids may be transported more locally, for example, between sub-systems of a hydrocarbon processing plant to facilitate distribution to end-users.
At least some fluid transport stations use rotary machines, such as compressors, fans and/or pumps that are driven by gas turbines. Some of these turbines drive the associated fluid transport apparatus via a gearbox that either increases or decreases a gas turbine output drive shaft speed to a predetermined apparatus drive shaft speed. In other rotary machines, electrically-powered drive motors, or electric drives are used in place of (or in conjunction) with mechanical drives (i.e., gas turbines) to operate the rotary machine. Regardless of the particular setting, i.e. on-shore, off-shore, etc. and regardless of whether the rotary machine is turbine or motor driven, there is an ever present need to increase the efficiency, decrease the costs, and reduce the environmental impact of fossil fuel processing, and in particular, of rotary machines involved in such processing.
As a result of this ever present need, much progress has been made in the development of new materials which may potentially be used in the manufacture of rotary machines. Metals such as new alloys, non-metals such as new textiles, and other new materials consisting of both metals and non-metals offer significant advantages over materials more conventionally associated with rotary machine manufacture.
However, the incorporation of these materials to new or existing rotary machines has proved challenging. More specifically, these materials oftentimes behave differently, both during assembly and during operation of the rotary machine, from the more conventional materials which they may replace. Accordingly, there is a need for a rotary machine which is capable of incorporating diverse materials into newly manufactured or existing components thereof.